WHL NOTEBOOK: Silvertips, Raiders set to tangle in final

The Prince Albert Raiders and Everett Silvertips will meet in the Western Hockey League in a battle of the two top clubs in the regular season.

Everett swept an older Penticton Vees club while Prince Albert needed six games to eliminate the defending champion Medicine Hat Tigers, who led the series 2-1 after Game 3.

The Raiders won the sole meeting of the year between the clubs, 4-1 on Nov. 11 in Everett.

It’s the third appearance in the final for both clubs, with Prince Albert winning in 1985 and 2019, and Everett losing in 2004 and 2018.

The series features a matchup between a pair of overage Westman forwards.

Nolan Chastko of Brandon has a goal and five assists in 13 playoff games with the Silvertips, and a plus-minus of +6 on a line that is counted for offence and plays against the other team’s best players.

On the other side, Brayden Dube of Roblin has six goals and 11 assists in 15 games for the Raiders.

Everett is 12-1 with 59 goals for and 24 against, while Prince Albert is 12-3 with 67 goals for and 36 against.

The Silvertips power play is hitting at a 26.2 rate in the playoffs and their penalty kill is 85.1 per cent, while the Raiders are at 29.2 per cent on the power play and 76.7 on the PK.

DRAFT DAY

The Sun will have extensive coverage of the draft this week beginning Wednesday. The first round of the draft will be held that night, with the other rounds to follow on Thursday.

Brandon is without picks in the third and fourth rounds but has extras in the fifth and ninth rounds.

At a local level, the 2011-born draft class isn’t a strong one in Westman, so it’s unlikely anyone will be picked until the later rounds on Thursday.

For more details, see Wednesday’s paper.

COLLEGE CRUSH

Because the NCAA just can’t help poisoning every well it passes, another change that’s likely to be passed is about to have a massive impact on junior hockey in Canada.

The so-called five-for-five rule will mean players will have up to five years of eligibility to play their four seasons, with the clock starting once they begin the academic year after they turn 19 or graduate from high school.

Of course the rules are always aimed at football, which is the biggest money maker, but hockey is getting caught up in it. What it means is that there will be more pressure on younger WHL players to leave, and that college hockey will get younger too.

In the past, some players didn’t enter the college ranks until they were 20 or 21. That will be impossible.

Part of the impetus for the change is an executive order signed by American President Donald Trump on April 3.

You have to feel for longtime WHL executives, who once had roster stability and could forecast years into the future. Now that’s impossible.

Numerous fans have asked me if certain players will be returning for next year, and at this point, I just shrug. If a college program wants a player badly enough, they’ll find a way to make it happen. Last June, Matteo Michels texted me to confirm he wasn’t heading to the University of Vermont until the 2026-27.

By August, plans had changed and he made the jump for the 2025-26 campaign.

With all due respect to WHL commissioner Dan Near, who does his best to put a positive spin on the impacts of NCAA eligibility, this has been an unmitigated disaster for major junior hockey.

The CHL has called itself the best junior league in the world for years. At the rate it’s going, the CHL may soon be the best under-18 league in the world.

WORLD JUNIORS

Misha Donskov of London, Ont., will serve as head coach of Canada’s national men’s and national junior clubs, with his first appearance at the 2026 IIHF World Championship in Zürich and Fribourg, Switzerland. The world junior championship will be held in Edmonton and Red Deer.

He was hired as the vice-president of hockey operations and men’s national team coach a year ago.

CHL RANKINGS

Here’s the latest from the Canadian Hockey League’s top 50 players in 50 years, which weighs the entire career of the players rather than their time in major junior.

20. Pat LaFontaine (Verdun Juniors, 1982-83).

19. Al MacInnis (Kitchener Rangers, 1980-83).

18. Chris Pronger (Peterborough Petes, 1991-93).

17. Martin Brodeur (Saint-Hyacinthe Lasers, 1989-92).

16. Patrick Roy (Granby Bisons, 1982-85).

15. John Tavares (Oshawa Generals and London Knights, 2005-09).

14. Jarome Iginla (Kamloops Blazers, 1993-96).

13. Nathan MacKinnon (Halifax Mooseheads, 2011-13).

12. Paul Coffey Kingston Canadians, Soo Greyhounds and Kitchener Rangers, 1977-80).

11. Scott Niedermayer (Kamloops Blazers, 1989-92).

TOP ACADEMICS

The WHL’s scholastic player of the year is 20-year-old Portland Winterhawks forward Alex Weiermair of Los Angeles, who was awarded the Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Memorial Trophy.

In university courses, the Vegas Golden Knights prospect achieved straight As in psychology, business, chemistry and history, and he also speaks German and is teaching himself Italian.

The other finalists were Brandon Wheat Kings defenceman Nigel Boehm, Penticton Vees defenceman Sean Burick and Calgary Hitmen defenceman Ben MacBeath.

Wheat Kings players have won the award an incredible seven times, with the list including Quinn Mantei (2022-23), Tanner Kaspick (2015-16), Keith Aulie (2006-07), Brett Dickie (2002-03), Stefan Cherneski (1996-97), Byron Penstock (1993-94) and Kevin Cheveldayoff (1987-88).

TOP GOALIE

The league’s goaltender of the year is 19-year-old Prince George Cougars netminder Joshua Ravensbergen of North Vancouver, B.C., who was awarded the Del Wilson Memorial Trophy.

Undrafted by WHL clubs, the six-foot-six, 195-pound goalie posted a regular season record of 32-13-0-0, with a 2.51 goals-against average, .919 save percentage and four shutouts.

He was selected by the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the National Hockey League draft in 2025. The other finalists were Filip Ruzicka of the Brandon Wheat Kings, Michal Orsulak (Prince Albert Raiders), Andrew Reyelts (Penticton Vees), Tobias Tvrznik (Wenatchee Wild) and Chase Wutzke (Moose Jaw Warriors).

Brandon has won the award four times, with Trevor Robins (1992-93), Trevor Kidd (1989-90), Rick Knickle (1978-79) and Glen Hanlon (1976-77) claiming it.

TOP COACH

Everett head coach Steve Hamilton was awarded the Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy, beating finalists Willie Desjardins (Medicine Hat), Dustin Friesen (Calgary), Fred Harbinson (Penticton), Mark Lamb (Prince George) and Ryan McDonald (Prince Albert).

Hamilton has also served as head of coach of Calgary and the Edmonton Oil Kings during his 12-year career in the league.

A Wheat Kings coach has won the award three times, with Bob Lowes earning it in 1995-96 and the trophy’s namesake, Dunc McCallum, being honoured in 1976-77 and 1978-79.

TOP EXECUTIVE

Penticton president, head coach and general manager Fred Harbinson was awarded the Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy, topping finalists Mike Fraser of Brandon (Everett Silvertips), Garry Davidson of Virden (Calgary), Desjardins (Medicine Hat), Bruce Hamilton (Kelowna Rockets) and Curtis Hunt (Prince Albert Raiders).

In the team’s jump from the BCHL to the WHL this season, Harbinson’s team went 44-14-6-4 to set the CHL for wins by an expansion club, and he became the first expansion GM to win the award.

Brandon has earned it three times, with Kelly McCrimmon winning in 1994-95, 2009-10 and 2014-15.

WEEKLY STARS

The player of the week is 18-year-old Prince Albert Raiders defenceman Daxon Rudolph of Lacombe, Alta., who had four goals and five assists in four games as the Raiders eliminated the Tigers.

The goalie of the week is 18-year-old Everett Silvertips netminder Anders Miller of Anchorage, Alaska, who went 2-0-0-0 with a 2.50 goals-against average and .904 save percentage.

The rookie of the week is a former Brandon Wheat Kings prospect and current Raiders forward, 18-year-old Owen Corkish of Cottage Grove, Minn., who had three goals and an assist in four games. His rights were dropped by Brandon before the NCAA rule change when Corkish wouldn’t commit to the WHL.

APRIL’S BEST

The top player in the WHL was Prince Albert’s Rudolph, who had six goals and seven assists in 10 playoff games. The rookie of the month was 18-year-old Everett Silvertips forward Matias Vanhanen of Nokia, Finland, who had seven goals and seven assists in 10 playoff games.

The top goalie was Everett’s Miller, who went 9-0-1-0 with a 2.14 goals-against average and .929 save percentage.